Upon hearing this, the driver thought, "Ah, the bond between teacher and students, how touching."
"Wait and see, I'll make sure you get to see your homeroom teacher one last time."
In the congested streets, the driver maneuvered the small car with the speed of a sports car.
They arrived at the hospital in half the usual time, and the class monitor, overcome with emotion, transferred 2,000 yuan to the driver as a "thank you" fee.
Well, it was called a "thank you" fee, but in reality, it was to cover his traffic fines.
The driver had run quite a few red lights along the way; the monitor had spotted at least three.
They even arrived at the hospital a bit earlier than Teacher Zheng and the others.
Seeing Teacher Zheng's car in the rearview mirror, the monitor instructed the driver to circle the hospital and enter through a different gate.
Though confused, the driver complied. After all, this generous "boss" had just transferred him 2,000 yuan.
Teacher Zheng was glad the students came to show concern for their classmate, but she felt discipline was necessary. She swept a stern gaze across everyone's faces.
"Skipping class right under your teacher's nose? You've grown quite bold. Everyone will write a 1,000-word self-reflection, due on my desk tomorrow morning."
She added, "Don't let this happen again, or I'll have to involve your parents."
When being scolded by Teacher Zheng, the students were on their best behavior, showing no trace of the audacity they had displayed in skipping class.
After doling out criticism, it was time for a bit of kindness. She continued, "Alright, I understand you're concerned about your classmate. But let's be clear: you are not to interfere with the doctors and nurses' work. Just sit in the corridor and wait."
The chairs in the corridor were limited, so the boys, being gentlemanly, offered the seats to the girls and sat on the floor themselves.
The girls wore short skirts as part of their uniform, so sitting on the floor would be inappropriate for them.
Shi Qiuyu and Gao Yun sat next to Shi Li, inquiring about the current situation.
As they spoke, the others listened intently, hoping to glean some useful information.
However, Shi Li simply said, "I don't know the details either. They're still in emergency care."
Everyone thought: We didn't need you to tell us that. The emergency room light is still on; of course, we know they're still in there.
As they were talking, a group of well-dressed people walked past the Class 1-1 students.
The group consisted of both men and women, all exuding an air of wealth.
Shi Qiuyu leaned close to Shi Li's ear and whispered, "That's Wei Yi's mother's family, the Xun Family."
Shi Li's gaze lingered on the man leading the group. [That person looks familiar. Where have I seen him before?]
Shi Qiuyu, noticing Shi Li's curiosity about a man other than Feng Yunhe for the first time, glanced back and forth between them.
The Xun Family rarely socialized due to their special profession.
Shi Qiuyu's mother was a subordinate of Wei Yi's eldest maternal uncle, so the two families interacted more frequently, making her more familiar with the Xun Family's situation.
As the group walked further away, Shi Qiuyu introduced them to Shi Li, "The elderly man with the cane is Wei Yi's grandfather. The one standing to his right is Wei Yi's uncle, and the one on the left is Wei Yi's aunt."
She didn't bother introducing the other people, who were more distant relatives of the Xun Family.
With her family's arrival, Wei Yi's mother felt slightly better.
Her sister-in-law, being a fellow woman, held Wei Yi's mother's hand and comforted her.
Xun Xun's gaze swept towards the nearby corridor, looking at his niece with a hint of inquiry.
Wei Yi, waiting outside the emergency room, couldn't help but notice the group that had gathered in the corridor.
She was exasperated; her classmates were truly one gossipy bunch.
With her classmates eagerly watching her family drama unfold, Wei Yi had to cover for them, "They're concerned about me, so they followed us here."
Although she had never seen classmates this enthusiastic, let alone an entire class.
Given the circumstances, no one commented further on the matter.
Shi Li and the class monitor tried to persuade Teacher Zheng to go home, reminding her that she was older and had a family to take care of, unlike them.
With students still present, Teacher Zheng was reluctant to leave.
But Shi Li and the class monitor were very persuasive, saying, "Don't worry, we'll be heading home soon too."
Teacher Zheng thought to herself that there wasn't much she could do to help here anyway.
This was a hospital; nothing untoward should happen.
After repeatedly warning the students in the corridor not to cause trouble and to go home early, she finally left with her bag.
The students, who had promised Teacher Zheng they would go home soon, promptly messaged their families about attending a class gathering, saying they'd be home late or might not come home at all if it got too late.
Along with the message, they sent a group photo of all the classmates.
Of course, the hospital in the background was blurred out.
Since they weren't out gallivanting with questionable friends but staying with classmates, even the parents of the school troublemakers didn't object.
The Xun Family, being people of proper etiquette, had already inquired about when the students planned to leave before they even ordered takeout.
The class monitor, who had been pushed forward as the spokesperson, gave an answer, "Once we see Mr. Wei come out of the emergency room safe and sound, we'll be at ease."
The others thought: Trust the class monitor to be so articulate. If you don't want to leave, just say so, instead of mentioning something that's unlikely to happen.
They heard a sarcastic addition in their minds: [We'll go home when the rooster finishes pecking the rice, the dog finishes eating the noodles, and the fire burns through the lock.]
